Hanger for a seal in a floating roof tank



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F.l D. MOYER EI'AL HANGER FOR A SEAL IN A FLOATING RDOF TANK figg llllllIH-FIIIIIIIIHI I Aug. 15, 195o Filed Feb ',u 15 19,50 F. D. MoYER Erm. 2,518,488

HANGER FOR A SEAL IN A FLOATING RDOF TANK Filed Feb. 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 15,` 1950 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFlcE Frederick D. Moyer and Edward S. Fraser, Chicago, Ill., alsignors to Chicago' Bridge & Iron Company, a corporation of Illinois 'Ammann rebmry s, 1847, sensi No. 120,468

l This invention relates to an improved seal s cama. v(ci. zzo-zc) l hanger for use in conjunction with a floating roof of a liquid storage tank. l

The seal hanger shown herein is an improvement upon the pending application for a seal hanger for a oating roof tank, illed by Frederick D. Moyer on the 3d day of February, 1947, as Serial No. 726,179.

As usually constructed, floating roofs for liquid storage tanks have a diameter less than the diameter of the tank in order that the roof may float freely upon the liquid stored. Means must necessarily be provided for sealing the annular space between the roof and the inner side walls of the tank to prevent excessive liquid loss through evaporation. It is customary to provide a plurality of shoes supported by the iioating roof, and adapted to be pressed against the walls ofthe tank in a manner to seal the space between the shoes and the walls. An annular flexible seal between the shoes and the floating if roofs seals the space existing therebetween. Nu-

merous methods and apparatus have been devised.

to suspend the shoes against the tank wall. some beingextremely complicated in their mechanism and diiiicult andl expensive to fabricate.

WeA have invented and are herein disclosing and claiming a novel means for pressing the shoe against the tank walls, and suspending the same in proper relationship thereto.

The invention will be described with reference i to the accompanying drawings in which:

Referring now to the drawings, III indicates the side wall of the'liquid storage tank containing a liquid i i upon which a floating roof I2 is supported. The floating roof is of any usual construction having a top portion I I, a bottom Il and a side l5. Pivotally connected at il to the side of the roof is a lever, generally indicated i1, having a portion I l extending downwardly from the point il to an angle il, and a portion 2li extending inwardly from the angle. A weight 2l is provided to urge the portion 20 downwardly, and, therefore, to urge the angle I9 against the shoe 2l to press the same against the side of the tank. A shoe supporting member 22 is pivotally the shoe supporting member in the embodimen shown in Fig. l, being generally in the shape of an L having a, vertical leg 24 and a horizontal leg 2l. 'Ihe horizontal portion 25 is `pivotally connected to the portion 2! at 26, as shown. It is clear, however, that the member 22 may be attached to the shoe by means not necessarily pivotal, as, for example, by welding. In order to increase the strength and stability of the members just described, we prefer to construct them of parallel pairs of members, as shown in Fig. 2, hence there are two downwardly extending por- -tions I8 and two portions Il and 20 to make up the lever Il, and likewise there are two vertical portions 24 and two-horizontal portions 25 comprising the shoe supporting member. The particular arrangement shown in Fig. 1 is, of course, duplicated about the periphery of the roof in order to support the shoes provided thereabout. The parts are so constructed and arranged that the lower portion of the shoe 2| exerts an inward force against the lever il to elevate that lever from a freely hanging position when the roof is centered in the tank, the weight of the inwardly extending portion 20 together with the weight 2| exerting a corresponding an equal outward force against the bottom portion of the shoe. 'I'he lever I1 becomes further elevated from a freely hanging position upon a decrease of the distance between the 'roof and the shoe, which further elevation increases the outward force against the bottom of the shoe and tends to return the roof to center. It can be seen, however, that movement of the roof toward and away from the wall of the tank while increasing or decreasing the amount of elevation of the lever Il. causes substantially no vertical movement of the shoe. It can further be seen that the outward force exerted against the upper portion of the shoe by the shoe supporting member is nearly constant regardless of the position of the roof with respect to the center of the tank.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the horizontal portion 25 of the shoe supporting member is pivotally connected to the inwardly extending `portion20 by means of a longitudinal slot 2l formed in the portion 25, which slot slidably engages a pin 29 fixed in the portion 20. A second slot 30 longitudinal of the vertical leg 2l is adapted to slidably engage a pin 3| fixed in the angle I8. This particular arrangement assures a reaction perpendicular to the long side of the slots (if friction be neglected), that is, the downward force upon the portion 20 by the shoe supconnected at 23 to the upper portion of the shoe, porting member is always at right angles Vto the atrasos l 3. slot 2l, while the force pressing the vertical leg outwardly is likewise perpendicular to the alot 8| regardless of the degree of elevation of the lever I1. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the shoe supporting member 22a is in the form of a straight member pivoted to the upper portion of'the shoe and to the inwardly extending portion 20 ofthe lever.

While we have shown and described certain embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas disclosed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a floating roof tank having at least one shoe to slidably contact the side walls of the tank, means for pressing the shoe against the side walls including a substantially L-shaped lever having one leg swingably attached to the i roof, and extending downwardly therefrom to the angle of the L with the other leg being weighted` and extending, inwardly from said angle, 'and shoe supporting means pivotally supported by said inwardly extending leg and connected to the shoe, said lever being elevated against gravity from a freely hanging position by inward pressure ofthe shoe thereagainst when the roof is centered in the tank.

2. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1 in whichsaid shoe lsupporting means is connected to the upper portion of the shoe.

3. Apparatus of the character described in claim l in which said shoe supporting means is substantially in the form of an L having a substantially vertical leg connected to the upper portion of the shoe, and a substantially horizontal leg pivotally connectedl to the inwardly extending leg of the lever.

shoe'to slidably contact the side walls of the a. appar-ams of the character described m claim 4 in which said shoe supporting member is pivotally connected to the inwardly extending 'portion of the lever by means of a pin ilxed in said portion and adapted to slidably engage a longitudinal slot in said horizontal leg, said member being provided with a. second rslot longitudinal of the vertical leg thereof adapted to slidably engage a pin in said angle.

6. Apparatus of the character described in claim 4 in which sa'id shoe supporting member exerts an outward force on the upper portion oi' the shoe equal to the inward pressure ot the t walls, including a substantially L shaped lever 4. In a floating roof tank having at least onel tank, means for pressing the s hoe against the side walls including a lever swingably attached to the roof, said lever having an angular portion, a portion extending downwardly from the point of attachment to the roof to the angular portion and a portion extending inwardly from said angle and shoe supporting means substantially in the form of an L having a. substantially vertical leg having one leg swingably attached to the roof and extending downwardly therefrom to the angle of the L, with the other leg being weighted and extending inwardly from said angle to swing said lever to bring said angle against the lower portion of the shoe and shoe supporting means pivotally supported by said inwardly extending leg and connected to the upper portion of the shoe, said lever being elevated against gravity from a freely hanging position by inward pressure of the shoe thereagainst'when the roof is centered in the tank.

FREDERICK D. MOYER.

' EDWARD S. FRASER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,493,344 Huff May 6, 1924 1,903,306 Williams Apr. 4, 1933 1,921,877 Hackett Aug. 8,1933 2,148,811 Griilln Feb. 28, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 325,954 Italy Apr. 19, 1935 549,419 Germany Apr. 14, 1932 

